Smoke N' Fire's, "KC BBQ Books & Cooks"

Tonight I participated in Smoke N' Fire's, "KC BBQ Books & Cooks" event, held from 6 - 8 pm. This event was put on to help Harvester's increase their food supplies. The organization is experiencing a 40 to 60% increase in people needing assistance. A minimum donation of $10 or 10 canned goods was suggested for entry into the event, and  all proceeds are going to Harvester's.

The menu is Rob Russell's (of Good One Smokers) delicious pulled pork & brisket, Jim Cattey's delicious potato casserole, Steve Samazin's (Smoke N' Fire's in house grill master) grilled treats and adult beverages. Rhythm & Blues live music by Rich Berry, a Smoke N' Fire favorite.
Authors at tonight's event include:

Karen Adler & Judith Fertig a.k.a. Q Queens,

Carolyn Wells with the Kansas City BBQ Society,

Paul Kirk a.k.a. KC Baron of BBQ and

Rib Stars,Chef Richard McPeake

We all signed books purchased during the event and demonstrated recipes from our new books throughout the evening. Thank you to everyone that attended and participated to make this event a success!

GENTLEMAN,..... LIGHT YOUR SMOKERS!

The coals are burning hot, the wood is burning clean, and the delicate smell of meat and spices cohabitating in a bath of smoke is caressing my nose while tickling my taste buds. Yep, BARBECUE SEASON HAS BEGUN!

Once again Guy Simpson (KC Rib Doctor) and myself, have begun the barbecue season by teaching our 1 day intensive barbecue class through Communiversity-Kansas City. This is a beginner’s class that lasts between 2 to 3 hours and covers all of the basics of barbecue (meat selection, fuel selection, temperature control, times and temperature, etc.). We usually close the class with a Q&A session and a complimentary barbecue dinner.

A big thank you to all that participated in our fist class of the year! I hope that the information that was given to you will help you to take your barbecue to another level of enjoyment!

Travel Channel to film barbecue special in Kansas City

Carolyn Wells and I are delighted to be judges at this event.While this is probably not newsworthy, we want you to know that we are out there promoting Kansas City Barbecue!

Calling all barbecue aficionados, rib lovers and sauce superfans—Kansas City’s signature cuisine will soon be the main course for an episode of Food Wars, a new series airing this spring on the Travel Channel. The show features America’s most iconic food cities, and the next stop on the crew’s whirlwind culinary tour is Kansas City, where they’ll compare the barbecue ribs of two local institutions: Gates and Arthur Bryant’s.

The public is encouraged to join host Camille Ford at three film shoots scheduled for this weekend. More details below.

Friday, Feb. 26: Noon to 4 p.m.
Filming at Gates Bar-B-Q (1221 Brooklyn Ave.)
Public encouraged to attend, specifically loyal and enthusiastic fans of Gates

Saturday, Feb. 27: Noon to 4 p.m.
Filming at Arthur Bryant’s Barbecue (1727 Brooklyn Ave.)
Public encouraged to attend, specifically loyal and enthusiastic fans of Arthur Bryant’s

Sunday, Feb. 28: Starting at noon
Barbecue showdown filming at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (1616 E 18th St.)

No matter which side of the fence you may fall, all barbecue lovers are encouraged to attend. Amp up the enthusiasm and show your support with signs, banners or shirts bearing the name of your favorite rib restaurant – Gates or Bryant’s.

Food Wars premieres Tuesday, March 9, on the Travel Channel. The Kansas City episode will air later this spring on a date to be determined.

For more information about the show, visit www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Food_Wars.

For questions regarding this weekend’s film schedule, please contact fanfoodcasting@gmail.com.

One On One With Personal Chef Wendy Boumo Chok

For three days, personal chef Wendy Boumo Chok of Los Angeles, California, ate, lived and learned how to prepare barbecue. Chef Wendy came to me because she wanted to increase her knowledge while improving her preparation of America’s cuisine to astonish her clients. Well, I aim to please!

Wendy’s first day began with us paying a visit to Bichelmeyer Meats (704 Cheyenne Avenue Kansas City, KS 66105-2087 - (913) 342-5945). Bichelmeyer’s is a butcher shop that specializes in processing meats the old fashioned way. Meats and specialty cuts are processed to order. Sausage of various kinds are made fresh daily along with many other menu items. We were met by the owner, Joe Bichelmeyer, who gave Wendy a personal tour. He shared with Wendy the history of Bichelmyer’s, how the meats are processed and sold, and the inner working of Bichelmeyer Meats. For lunch we ate at what many consider to be the best barbecue restaurant in the Kansas City region, Oklahoma Joes (3002 W 47th Ave, Kansas City, KS 66103, www.oklahomajoesbbq.com ). There Wendy was given a personal tour of the kitchen before enjoying an excellent representation of what barbecue should taste like! After lunch it was time to get to work! Wendy and I began our one on one by learning how to create and balance her own signature “rub” or seasoning. From there Wendy trimmed and seasoned ribs with her signature rub and my rub just for the sake of comparison. We then discussed cooking times and temperatures as well as wood characteristics and flavoring. In to the smoker the ribs went. Wendy was a very enthusiastic student. While we were waiting for the ribs to cook I showed Wendy what to look for when selecting both briskets and pork butts. She then trimmed both meats for tomorrow’s lesson. After a little Q&A it was time to take the ribs out of the smoker. “Well how did she do?” you ask? Check the pictures below. It’s time to wrap things up for day one and get some rest.

Day two was met with Wendy’s lustrous smile. Today’s lesson began with us focusing on cooking times and temperatures for brisket and pork butts. We also discussed which herbs and seasonings best compliment each meat as well as wood pairings. In to the smoker they went. It’s time for a pop quiz, so on to Restaurant Depot we went. While we toured Restaurant Depot I had Wendy to select various cuts of meat and explain to me why she had chosen them. She passed with flying colors. All of this food is making me hungry. Let's eat lunch! Today we went to the one barbecue restaurant that exemplifies Kansas City barbecue, Arthur Bryant’s Barbecue (1727 Brooklyn Avenue, Kansas City, MO 64127-2530, www.arthurbryantsbbq.com ). Arthur Bryant’s Barbecue can trace its descent from Henry Perry, the "father of Kansas City barbecue", who in 1908 began serving smoked meats to workers in the Garment District in Downtown Kansas City from an alley stand. Perry moved to the 18th Street and Vine neighborhood where he sold barbecue for 25 cents a slab from a trolley barn at 19th and Highland. After enjoying lunch we were met by the current owner Bryant’s, Gary Berbiglia. Gary was more than happy to give Wendy a personal tour of the restaurant and share his wisdom about the barbecue restaurant business with her. Once again it was time to get back to work. After Wendy checked on the cooking progress of the briskets and pork butt, we created recipes for, cooked and bottled several barbecue sauces (Raspberry Chipotle, Kansas City style, Mustard Barbecue sauce, North Carolina Vinegar sauce, and Wendy’s own personal sauce). Once the sauces were bottled we mixed seasoning for homemade Italian and Texas Hot link style sausages. We mixed and refrigerated the sausage which will be cooked during tomorrow’s lessons. It is time to take the briskets and butts out of the smoker. Let’s evaluate the finished product. Wendy did well for this to be her first time cooking both meats. We have reached the point that we need to clean up and get some rest. Day two has come to an end.

Day three. Has Wendy had her fill of this thing that we love named barbecue? No! Once again I was greeted by her courteous and infectious smile. We began our day with a refresher of the information Wendy has learned so far. Wendy trimmed, seasoned, and placed ribs in the smoker. This was done to review and solidify what she learned on day one. We moved on to discussing cooking times and temperatures, flavor profiles, and wood pairings for chicken. Wendy then trimmed and seasoned chicken. After that, you guessed it, in to the smoker the chicken went. From there we created a recipe for barbecue beans. After mixing in the seasonings and burnt ends from yesterday’s brisket, Wendy put the beans in the smoker along with the sausage that she created the day before. It was time for more Q&A (I did not want to leave any stone unturned). We have reached the time for the final exam. How did everything turn out? Excellent! I am proud to say that Wendy Boumo Chok is now a graduate of Paul Kirk’s Pitmasters School of Barbecue!